One of the illuminating themes of the life history of Essie Burnett Horne is
the experience and actualization of many recognized Native American
values in the life of this mixed-blood Indian woman. As portrayed in this
oral history, the values are lived rather than announced or analyzed. To a
large degree, they find their roots in Native American culture, and for Essie they resonate with the values "lived" by her ancestor Sacajawea.

The story of Sacajawea emerges within Essie's more recent history and
touches upon the controversies surrounding Sacajawea's later life and the
concomitant question of the status of oral tradition versus the written
(white) history concerning this memorable Native American woman.

Essie begins her life story by recounting the oral traditions that relate to
her great-great-grandmother Sacajawea. Thus, she places herself and her
story within the continuum of a history recognizable to both Indian and
non-Indian readers and establishes the dimensions of her ancestry and genealogy.

My relationship to Sacajawea is by no means the most important theme of
my life, but I will admit that my connections to this well-known heroine
have brought me a great deal of attention in my eighty-plus years. From the
time I was a small child in Idaho, to the time spent around the Wind River
Reservation, to my days as a student and teacher in the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools, the oral traditions of this woman have inspired me to
hold on to my traditions. Now as a great-grandmother myself, I understand
a little better how the legacy of my great-great-grandmother has influenced
my sense of who I am.

I have heard that there are more monuments erected to honor Sacajawea
and more geographical features, including a crater on Venus, named after
her than after any other person in the United States. Be that as it may, she

Print this page

While we understand printed pages are helpful to our users, this limitation is necessary
to help protect our publishers' copyrighted material and prevent its unlawful distribution.
We are sorry for any inconvenience.